A good laptop, much like a good physical specimen, requires all of its components to be in sync, and work together. These components also have to be best-in-class, especially when we are talking about gaming rigs.Â
For serious gamers, buying a new laptop is serious business. Unlike gaming consoles such as PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X, where the consoles come with very few options for upgrades, laptops can be configured according to our needs and requirements. This gives gamers the opportunity to tweak, and bolster the laptop’s performance with significant upgrades.
That said, most gamers look for an already finished product. Whether it is the RAM size or the dedicated graphics card, they want a laptop model that is good to go. If you are a gaming enthusiast, or want to purchase a good gaming laptop for other requirements, such as video editing projects or animation courses, it is important to know the ideal configuration for a gaming device. We won’t make this very technical (for your understanding), and we will also provide a detailed breakdown, and give you the optimal configuration for a new gaming device.
CPU and GPU
If you want to play graphically-intensive games, it is important to get the CPU and GPU configuration right. However, it also depends on your budget. For instance, if your budget for a new gaming laptop is around Rs. 50,000, then you can get a gaming rig with Intel Core i5 processor, or the AMD Ryzen 5 processor.Â
If you can stretch your budget to around Rs. 75,000, then you can get a mid-range or mid-premium laptop with AMD Ryzen 7 processor. Any amount close to Rs. 1 lakh will get you a mid-premium device with Intel Core i7 processor, or the AMD Ryzen 4000 series chip, which is the kind of power you look for if you are a serious gamer.
That said, the best gaming laptop does not only rely on the CPU. The graphics play an important role, with laptops housing either Nvidia GeForce GPUs, or the AMD Radeon GPU. A laptop costing around Rs. 80,000 will come with Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660Ti GPU, while even more expensive models come with the best-in-class Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 with Max-Q GPU. Depending on your budget, you can find the right balance between the processor, and the graphics card.
RAM – All in the name
Now, RAM also plays a very important part in gaming laptops, and laptops in general. If you want the ideal gaming device, consider it a given that you have to go for at least 8GB RAM. Unlike the processor, you can always upgrade your RAM. For instance, even if you purchase a laptop with 8GB RAM today, you can upgrade it up to 32GB in all the modern laptops. That said, it is easier to purchase a device with either 8GB RAM or 16GB RAM right off the bat, than concern yourself with the upgrade at a later date.
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You can find laptops with 8GB DDR4 RAM at around Rs. 45,000 – Rs. 50,000. If you move up the price ladder, you can find laptop models with 16GB DDR4 RAM at around Rs. 90,000. Depending on your budget, you can either go for an 8GB RAM, or a 16GB RAM laptop.
Battery life
When you are in between intense gaming sessions, the last thing you would want is for your laptop to show a notification that it is running out of battery. Considering the amount of strain high-end games put on the device, it is important to opt for a laptop that comes with good battery back-up.
This essentially means that you have to find a laptop model that comes with at least 5-6 hours of battery back-up, which translates roughly to around 2-3 hours of uninterrupted intense gaming sessions.
Other things to look for in a gaming laptop
Other things you need to look for in your ideal gaming device is ample storage, with at least 256GB of SSD storage, cooling fans in the laptop to bring down the temperatures, and good displays with HD, full HD or ultra HD resolution with high refresh rates. While this means you have to spend at least Rs. 50,000, you can also opt for cheaper models if you’re working within a budget. For instance, you can purchase a laptop under 25000, like the Asus Vivobook X540YA-XO940T, or the Lenovo Ideapad S145 (81N3004DIN).
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